OROVILLE — After more than four years of struggle and debate, the Butte County Board of Supervisors continues to face the question of what to do with medical marijuana.

Tuesday, the supervisors will conduct a time-certain 1 p.m. hearing on proposals to amend existing restrictions on medical marijuana cultivation.

The amendments came from hearings Oct. 22, Nov. 12, and Dec. 10 of last year and require the garden property to have an occupied residence, water system and septic system, all with proper permits.

In addition, the civil penalties for violation of the ordinance increased. The penalties go to $500 a day for first-time violations and then jump to $1,000 a day on a second offense.

During that meeting, the three items were passed on a 4-1 vote, with Supervisor Larry Wahl of Chico voting no. Wahl has consistently voted against any measure that permits marijuana cultivation within county jurisdiction.

In the Dec. 10 discussion, Wahl chastised his colleagues, saying they were too willing to conform to the demands of the marijuana growers.

The Chico supervisor alleged the rest of the board had done nothing to protect the safety, security and private property rights of the general public.

Supervisor Steve Lambert, who lives on a ranch west of Oroville and whose district covers mostly the southwest corner of the county, took umbrage to Wahl's comments.

The vast majority of the citizens who spoke wanted much stricter regulations on marijuana cultivation in the county, and Lambert accused Wahl of "pandering to the crowd."

He went on to say he'd had a "belly-full" of marijuana as a topic.

Lambert said he'd like to see the marijuana regulations put on the ballot in a clear manner so the public can get "truly involved."

He may get his wish. On Friday, Andrew Merkel, an advocate for medical marijuana, said people on the growers' side of the discussion have taken preliminary steps toward putting an initiative on the ballot.

In a telephone interview with the newspaper, he said the group wants a ballot measure that, in effect, is the existing county cultivation ordinance with a clause that would prohibit the Board of Supervisors from amending the measure without putting it on the ballot again for a public vote.